Hunting is a test of patience. This is what I find so appealing about it. You’re not just tromping through the woods like a madman, scaring the daylights out of every living creature within earshot. Instead, you’re sitting quietly in a tree or behind a camouflaged blind, watching and listening. It could be hours or even days of hours before you see anything. Even if you do see something, there’s no guarantee that an opportunity will present itself for you to shoot at it. When that opportunity does arrive, it is usually fleeting. So, you must cultivate a mastery of your emotions and instincts in order to capitalize on it. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but that is what I find so compelling about hunting. Hunting is more real than most of the day-to-day stuff.

Computers, cells phones, TV and such are all well and good to a point, but none of them really means much to me at the end of the day. Hunting, on the other hand, is as real as it gets - life and death, joy and sorrow, success and defeat and sometimes pain and suffering. I’ve witnessed the natural world in a way that a non-hunter cannot imagine and words cannot fully describe. I believe hunters have more respect and love for all animals than any anti-hunter ever will. I am at peace when in the woods or field while hunting. I hunt because it is me! Hunting is my escape from everything. I like the bounty but it takes a back seat to just being out there and seeing things differently than most people will.

One of my favorite hunting spots faces west over a hillside. To sit there in the evening watching a beautiful sunset and seeing deer graze takes away a lot of the everyday pressures. I’ve had afternoons while hunting when I’ve watched deer within easy range for the enjoyment - and then later asked myself why didn’t I shoot and end the season early. Maybe I wanted a bigger buck, or just more time to hunt. I love the solitude and quiet time.

I grew up running the creeks and woods in the mountains, raising our own food. I am not a trophy hunter and don’t much care for the trophy hanging on the wall; I would rather shoot at a big doe to fill the freezer. To me, hunting your own food brings you an appreciation of your meal that you will never get from a grocery store or restaurant! Most people never think of where their food comes from or what it takes to put it on their plate, nor do they realize the conservation efforts that go into proper hunting.

Besides, where else can you a find such a magnificent view that includes clean air, untouched surroundings and pure nature? The main reason I hunt is that I truly enjoy hunting and the last day of the hunt!